p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"Chapter 26/p
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p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"On the way to the nearest middle point of a hexagon, Ginko and Tanyuu concluded more information was in order before developing a comprehensive mushi classification system. A moment of lukewarm silence ensued. Tanyuu hesitantly broke it with a confession. /p
p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ギンコ、実は、蟲封じには別の動機があって来たんだ」/span/font/span"Ginko, I wanted to come with you partly because I wanted to talk to you without Tama" she began. At that he jumped on the inside but said span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ああ、そんなこったろうと思ってたよ」/span/font/span"yeah. I guessed as much." Another minute of silence. He hoped to the darndest goodness she would not ask him about Tama's earlier comment. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「いいよ。聞いてるぜ」/span/font/span"I'm listening, Tanyuu" said Ginko, putting on as brave a front as he could. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「どちらから始めようか」/span/font/span"I don't know where to begin," she replied. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「熊戸に何が起こったのか話して」/span/font/span"would you please tell me what you know about Kumado's history?" Ginko nodded, allowed Hayate to pass him somewhat, to position himself side by side with her. He was relieved but that was another topic he had hoped she would not ask. But then there was nothing to be gained from withholding it from her. He told her what had transpired in the cave of the Sanekui-mushi. Hearing his account she bravely kept a tense, controlled expression. Ginko knew it took an extraordinary self restraint on her part to keep a calm face. Truly, it was crushing her heart. He hoped she would ask a question that would lighten up the mood. Oddly enough he got his wish, though that was not her intent. She asked about Ginko's dreams from past tokoyami victims, whether he had recovered his own past. He indicated no, none fit what it should have been. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「事実、ほとんどが女衆というか…/span/font..font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"母親だったみたいだ」/span/font/span"in fact, many of them were women…..mothers" he added. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「母親？どうして解る？」/span/font/span"mothers? How do you know they were mothers?" Tanyuu asked with a hint of lowering tension. Ginko stammered span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ああ…/span/font..font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"それはその、な、なんかあれがな、あれ、何ていうんだっけ？」/span/font/span"well…..I, they, ah….remember…..what do you call it?" searching for a word he knew but hardly ever used. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「何をもったいぶっておる？はっきり言わんか」/span/font/span"what? Spit it out" she commanded, but he was still contorting his face. He remembered it, and reluctantly mumbled span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「あ…/span/font..font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"お産」/span/font/span"…childbirth." He desperately hoped she would not find it humorous. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「お…/span/font..font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"産？」/span/font/span"childbirth?" she parroted and fell silent. He averted his gaze, mortified. When he finally dared to look straight forward again he noticed in his peripheral vision that she was shaking. She was shaking from trying mightily to stifle laughter. The urge proved too strong eventually and she broke out giggling. Ginko blushed. He threw an annoyed glance at her, but that looked more pitiful than annoyed to her, and she could no longer hold it together. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「そんなに思いっきり笑うなよ。本当に信じがたいほど痛えんだぞ。お前だって将来赤ん坊の一人や二人生むんだろ？」/span/font/span"don't laugh so much. It is really painful beyond belief. You are gonna do that, too, sooner or later" he protested. Tanyuu apologized but it was still awhile before she could stop. When her composure returned, she said in a matter-of-fact manner span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「余計な心配をするでない。私はすでに子は生まずに生涯すごす覚悟しているのだから」/span/font/span"don't worry about that. I have already decided I would never have a child." He sensed that was a decision she made out of much sorrow. Without him probing she explained that she wished to be the last scribe. No child would be condemned to the same fate as hers. She said that cheerfully enough but that made his heart throb./p
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p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"They found an inn by nightfall. The evening meal was served promptly, which Ginko polished up quickly. Tanyuu, on the other hand, stared at how much food he was putting away so quickly. True, he was walking the whole time and she riding, but the ominous feeling she had been trying to conceal and her grief snuffed her appetite away. He glanced at her, noting her struggles. Tama had told him that her appetite dwindles when under stress, so try to get her to eat. She eventually offered it to him, but she declined for the time being. She told him it was fatigue, but he intuited it was more than that. He had the same ominous foreboding since seeing the black impressions. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「お前も不吉な予感がするか？」/span/font/span"you have a bad feeling about this, too, don't you?" he probed. She nodded silently. He could plainly see she was fighting back tears. He knew her well enough by then that her heart was crushed under the weight of all the sacrifices made for her sake on top of that. /p
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p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"Ginko swallowed hard, weighing the risks and benefits of his intended actions. He decided to risk it, though at his expense. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「淡幽、一人で苦しむ事はない。熊戸は気の毒だがどう見てもお前の責任じゃねえさ」/span/font/span"Tanyuu, don't suffer alone. However you look at it, what Kumado went through was not your fault. None of this was" he said as flatly as he could. He stood up and sat himself down behind her, as he said span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「誤解すんなよ。友達としてってだけだからな」/span/font/span"don't misunderstand me. This is only as a friend." Then he wrapped his arms around her. She was startled for a moment, but understood his intent, turned herself sideways burying herself in his arms. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ほれ。泣いてすっきりしちまえ」/span/font/span"there. Just let it go. You'll feel better," he said as casually as always. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ははは/span/font...font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"そうすぐに泣けるか」/span/font/span"haha. Even I can't cry on command," she retorted, however already tearing up. Her shoulders heaved crying, but the tears seemed to rinse her grief away. They eventually stopped flowing. She wanted to stay there longer, but thought that might be misunderstood as well. She took his hands and whispered span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「お前も余程のお人好しだな」/span/font/span"well, some chump you are," she teased, cramming as much gratitude as she could in her voice. He returned span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「朱に交わらばなんとやら、っていうだろ」/span/font/span"takes one to know one, I've heard." With the lump in her throat gone, she could peck at the food some more. She still did not finish it, but an improvement. /p
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p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"He stood up with span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「明日の朝暗いうちに出られるか？そうすれば午前中につける」/span/font/span"can we leave before dawn? We should be reach it before noon." She nodded, bid him good night, and slid the emfusuma/em shut. /p
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p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"On the way to the nearest middle point of a hexagon, Ginko and Tanyuu concluded more information was in order before developing a comprehensive mushi classification system. A moment of lukewarm silence ensued. Tanyuu hesitantly broke it with a confession. /p
p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ギンコ、実は、蟲封じには別の動機があって来たんだ」/span/font/span"Ginko, I wanted to come with you partly because I wanted to talk to you without Tama" she began. At that he jumped on the inside but said span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ああ、そんなこったろうと思ってたよ」/span/font/span"yeah. I guessed as much." Another minute of silence. He hoped to the darndest goodness she would not ask him about Tama's earlier comment. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「いいよ。聞いてるぜ」/span/font/span"I'm listening, Tanyuu" said Ginko, putting on as brave a front as he could. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「どちらから始めようか」/span/font/span"I don't know where to begin," she replied. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「熊戸に何が起こったのか話して」/span/font/span"would you please tell me what you know about Kumado's history?" Ginko nodded, allowed Hayate to pass him somewhat, to position himself side by side with her. He was relieved but that was another topic he had hoped she would not ask. But then there was nothing to be gained from withholding it from her. He told her what had transpired in the cave of the Sanekui-mushi. Hearing his account she bravely kept a tense, controlled expression. Ginko knew it took an extraordinary self restraint on her part to keep a calm face. Truly, it was crushing her heart. He hoped she would ask a question that would lighten up the mood. Oddly enough he got his wish, though that was not her intent. She asked about Ginko's dreams from past tokoyami victims, whether he had recovered his own past. He indicated no, none fit what it should have been. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「事実、ほとんどが女衆というか…/span/font..font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"母親だったみたいだ」/span/font/span"in fact, many of them were women…..mothers" he added. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「母親？どうして解る？」/span/font/span"mothers? How do you know they were mothers?" Tanyuu asked with a hint of lowering tension. Ginko stammered span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ああ…/span/font..font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"それはその、な、なんかあれがな、あれ、何ていうんだっけ？」/span/font/span"well…..I, they, ah….remember…..what do you call it?" searching for a word he knew but hardly ever used. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「何をもったいぶっておる？はっきり言わんか」/span/font/span"what? Spit it out" she commanded, but he was still contorting his face. He remembered it, and reluctantly mumbled span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「あ…/span/font..font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"お産」/span/font/span"…childbirth." He desperately hoped she would not find it humorous. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「お…/span/font..font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"産？」/span/font/span"childbirth?" she parroted and fell silent. He averted his gaze, mortified. When he finally dared to look straight forward again he noticed in his peripheral vision that she was shaking. She was shaking from trying mightily to stifle laughter. The urge proved too strong eventually and she broke out giggling. Ginko blushed. He threw an annoyed glance at her, but that looked more pitiful than annoyed to her, and she could no longer hold it together. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「そんなに思いっきり笑うなよ。本当に信じがたいほど痛えんだぞ。お前だって将来赤ん坊の一人や二人生むんだろ？」/span/font/span"don't laugh so much. It is really painful beyond belief. You are gonna do that, too, sooner or later" he protested. Tanyuu apologized but it was still awhile before she could stop. When her composure returned, she said in a matter-of-fact manner span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「余計な心配をするでない。私はすでに子は生まずに生涯すごす覚悟しているのだから」/span/font/span"don't worry about that. I have already decided I would never have a child." He sensed that was a decision she made out of much sorrow. Without him probing she explained that she wished to be the last scribe. No child would be condemned to the same fate as hers. She said that cheerfully enough but that made his heart throb./p
p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima; min-height: 17.0px;" /p
p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"They found an inn by nightfall. The evening meal was served promptly, which Ginko polished up quickly. Tanyuu, on the other hand, stared at how much food he was putting away so quickly. True, he was walking the whole time and she riding, but the ominous feeling she had been trying to conceal and her grief snuffed her appetite away. He glanced at her, noting her struggles. Tama had told him that her appetite dwindles when under stress, so try to get her to eat. She eventually offered it to him, but she declined for the time being. She told him it was fatigue, but he intuited it was more than that. He had the same ominous foreboding since seeing the black impressions. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「お前も不吉な予感がするか？」/span/font/span"you have a bad feeling about this, too, don't you?" he probed. She nodded silently. He could plainly see she was fighting back tears. He knew her well enough by then that her heart was crushed under the weight of all the sacrifices made for her sake on top of that. /p
p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima; min-height: 17.0px;" /p
p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"Ginko swallowed hard, weighing the risks and benefits of his intended actions. He decided to risk it, though at his expense. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「淡幽、一人で苦しむ事はない。熊戸は気の毒だがどう見てもお前の責任じゃねえさ」/span/font/span"Tanyuu, don't suffer alone. However you look at it, what Kumado went through was not your fault. None of this was" he said as flatly as he could. He stood up and sat himself down behind her, as he said span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「誤解すんなよ。友達としてってだけだからな」/span/font/span"don't misunderstand me. This is only as a friend." Then he wrapped his arms around her. She was startled for a moment, but understood his intent, turned herself sideways burying herself in his arms. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ほれ。泣いてすっきりしちまえ」/span/font/span"there. Just let it go. You'll feel better," he said as casually as always. span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「ははは/span/font...font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"そうすぐに泣けるか」/span/font/span"haha. Even I can't cry on command," she retorted, however already tearing up. Her shoulders heaved crying, but the tears seemed to rinse her grief away. They eventually stopped flowing. She wanted to stay there longer, but thought that might be misunderstood as well. She took his hands and whispered span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「お前も余程のお人好しだな」/span/font/span"well, some chump you are," she teased, cramming as much gratitude as she could in her voice. He returned span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「朱に交わらばなんとやら、っていうだろ」/span/font/span"takes one to know one, I've heard." With the lump in her throat gone, she could peck at the food some more. She still did not finish it, but an improvement. /p
p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima; min-height: 17.0px;" /p
p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Optima;"He stood up with span style="font: 14.0px Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN;"font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"「明日の朝暗いうちに出られるか？そうすれば午前中につける」/span/font/span"can we leave before dawn? We should be reach it before noon." She nodded, bid him good night, and slid the emfusuma/em shut. /p